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Coronavirus: The Infodemic - April 3


FactCheck.org
FactCheck.org

Fake news about the coronavirus can do real harm. Polygraph.info is spotlighting fact-checks from other reliable sources here​.

Daily Debunk

Claim: American students will have to repeat the school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Verdict: False

Read the full story: FactCheck.org

Social Media Disinfo​

FTC website
FTC website

Circulating on social media: Claims that silver prevents COVID-19.

Verdict: False

Read the full story: "This Idaho Chiropractor Was Running Ads On Facebook Falsely Claiming Silver Prevents The Coronavirus" -- BuzzFeed

Factual Reads on Coronavirus


An antibody test for the novel coronavirus will soon be available
In the short term, this will be important because it will permit the authorities to identify who may return to their jobs without risk of infecting others.
– The Economist, April 2

The coronavirus is washing over the U.S. These factors will determine how bad it gets in each community
As the outbreak rolls across the country, residents are asking: Who will be hit next? And how fast and how hard?
-- Stat, April 1

Chinese State Media Seeks to Influence International Perceptions of COVID-19 Pandemic
We assess that the effort we see today to cast doubt on the origin of COVID-19 and shift the blame away from China began in mid-February with the transition away from the use of Wuhan-specific hashtags in COVID-19 posts.
-- Reorded Future, March 30

Estimates of the severity of coronavirus disease 2019: a model-based analysis
Our estimated overall infection fatality ratio for China was 0·66% (0·39–1·33), with an increasing profile with age.
-- The Lancet, April 30

‘We need to be alert’: Scientists fear second coronavirus wave as China’s lockdowns ease
Other countries on lockdown will be watching for a resurgence of infections in Hubei province now that travel restrictions are lifting.
-- Nature, March 30

No, the coronavirus wasn’t made in a lab. A genetic analysis shows it’s from nature
The virus’s genetic makeup reveals that SARS-CoV-2 isn’t a mishmash of known viruses, as might be expected if it were human-made.
-- ScienceNews, March 26​

Mapping the COVID-19 outbreak

USAFACTS.org map displaying confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. by county
USAFACTS.org map displaying confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. by county

The Best Coronavirus Myth-Busting Collections

Agence France Presse

Snopes

BuzzFeed

Factcheck.org

Associated Press

Washington Post

TruthOrFiction

Reliable Coronavirus Information

World Health Organization

U.S. Centers for Disease Control

Federation of American Scientists

Emergency Physicians

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine​

Pan American Health Organization

Google COVID‑19 Information & Resources

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SM
MD
LG